Musical automatic finger exercising machine



MUSICAL AUTOMATIC FINGER EXERCISING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1945 Patenteci Mar. 30, 1948 'entren STATES PATENT ralf-ICE MUSICAL AUTOMATIC FINGER EXEBCSING Jan Obuchowski, Stamford, Conn.

Application April 27, 1945, Serial No. 590,685

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an automatic linger exercising machine, and one of its objects is to provide a series of keyboard levers, simulating those of a piano or organ, or any similar musical device, and means for automatically operating the levers, so that human fingers resting on or engaging the levers will be moved back and forth,

Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic machine of this type, with a plurality of finger engaged levers, a motor driven shaft, and a series of eccentrics on the shaft having pitman connections with the levers, so that the levers will be reciprocated by the rotation of the eccentrics.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain new and useful constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View, with certain parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of a speed control device for use in providing variable driven speeds.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practical embodiment of my invention, 5 designates a cabinet or case, having an intermediate internal wall or partition E, which divides the cabinet cr case into a motor holding compartment 'I and an eccentric compartment 8.

An electrical motor 9 is arranged in the compartment l, and a shaft Ill is journaled in bearings II and I2. This shaft is equipped with a plurality of eccentric collars I3, which are located in spaced relation to each other and locked to the shaft by means of the set screws I4. Each eccentric collar is engaged by a strap I5, and each strap is connected to a pitman I6. Each pitman is connected pivotally at its lower end to a horizontally disposed key lever II, and all of the levers are pivotally supported at their rear ends by the cross rod I8, on the bearings Il and I2.

The eccentric collars I3 are offset sufficiently to give the pitman a vertical movement approximately equal to that required in piano playing, or for the operation of similar musical devices.

The motor shaft 9a is equipped with a pulley 9b, which is engaged by the belt I9, and this belt also engages the driven pulley 2li on the shaft it. The motor shaft 9a may be equipped with a variable speed or control device 2l, and said speed control may be equipped with a wiper arm 22, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the user may be able to select a variety of different speeds.

The driven shaft I is located directly over the rear end of the series of levers I'I, and the pitmans extend downwardly and slightly forwardly from this shaft to the levers I'I, so that the pitmans exert a downward pushing action against the levers, to force them downwardly, and then an upward pulling action, to lift the levers, against the pressure of the fingers of the user.

The cabinet is provided with a guard 23, which is hinged at 24 thereto, so as to conceal the eccentrics` and the shaft I0. The forward ends of the levers II provide bearing surfaces for the fingers of the user.

The electrical motor is started by means of the switch 25, which results in the shaft I0 beingrotated at a slower speed that that of the motor shaft. The rotation of the shaft I0 causes the eccentric collars to swing around with the shaft, and the eccentric straps i5 are thus caused to move up and down and laterally, in the usual manner, thereby imparting a reciprocating motion to the pitmans I5, which impart a lifting and falling motion to the key levers.

The user places his or her fingers on the live levers and closes the switch, The levers then move the fingers up and down, subjecting them to continuous exercise, which lubricates the joints of the fingers, increases their flexibility and strengthens their cords and muscles. The user can at all times remove his or her lingers from the levers and stop the machine whenever so desired.

The rapid motion imparted to the fingers by the automatic exercising machine, increases the circulation of blood through the hand, and thereby improves the tone and resiliency of the nerves, so that the person receiving the benefit of the exercise will be able to do better playing of any instrument calling for quick and responsive movement of the fingers.

It is understood that various changes may be made in the construction of the details, their combination and arrangement, and that various materials may vbe employed in carrying out the invention, within the limits of the invention, as defined by the claim hereof.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

En an automatic finger exercising apparatus comprising a casing7 a series of piano keys pivotally mounted in the casing, with the forward portions of the keys exposed upwardly for acansa-826 3 cess to the ngers of a player, and a driven shaft having eccentrics with pitmans operated thereby and individually connected to the keys, the features which consist in that the casing includes three sections, one behind the other, among which sections the rst is open to expose-the forward portions of the keys, the second is an intermediate chamber having the rear portions of said keys extending into and terminating within it and also having the driven shaft with the 1G eccentrics and pitmans located therein, said chamber having a, partition separating the same from the rst mentioned casing section exposing the keys, and the third section is also a chamber having a further partition separating it from 15 V 1,661,443

4 the intermediate chamber and containing a prime mover connected operatively to the driven shaft for rotation of the latter in said intermediate chamber.

JAN OBUCHOWSKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 18,857 Nathans Dec. 15, 1857 130,457 Wenzel Aug. 13, 1872 Neely Mar. 6, 1928 

